The Alliance and icipe solidify longstanding relationship, creating major framework for research and development in Africa and beyond

In a landmark move for research and development in Africa and beyond, two major institutions: The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), jointly known as The Alliance; and the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).  

This milestone creates a framework to capitalize on the comparative advantages of the organizations in science, services, locations and operational strategies, to boost climate action, sustainable agriculture, scaling of innovations and technologies and expansion of geographical reach.   

The Alliance and icipe have a longstanding history of successful partnership, through a range of collaborative initiatives. In addition, icipe has hosted the Africa Regional Office of CIAT since 2012, and that of the Alliance from 2020, at the Duduville campus, Nairobi, Kenya. In 2023, through a CAD $20 million grant from the Government of Canada, the two organizations launched the “Building Equitable Climate Resilient African Bean and Insect Sectors (BRAINS)” project, a five-year initiative that will benefit over 2.5 million people in Africa (Read more).  

“This agreement makes perfect sense based on the current institutional scenarios, capacities and complementarities of The Alliance and icipe. It represents a critical step in our shared commitment to sustainable agricultural practices and climate resilience in Africa. By combining our expertise, we will create impactful solutions that benefit smallholder farmers and the environment .”  – Juan Lucas Restrepo, Director General, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT.  

“We have entered a symbolic and powerful act that will cement our cooperation to harness complementary research, institutional and capacity development and impact pathway skills. This will ensure greater convergence of our respectives as we advance our specific missions. ” – Abdou Tenkouano, icipe Director General.  

The Alliance and icipe are both at important junctures in terms growth, as well as the consolidation of scientific disciplines and research domains for better impact. The MoU will support this momentum by facilitating co-creation and co-innovation, along the following thrusts: 

• Research for development on climate action and solutions to address climate stressors, pests and weeds. 

• Leveraging of digital services and technologies, for example for early warning on diverse challenges in Africa. 

• Promoting agroecology and nature-positive activities, incorporating pollination and biological control, a holistic approach to biodiversity that encompasses sustainability and resilience in food systems, crop diversity, soil biodiversity, as well as the role of insects in in healthy soils and landscapes.  

• Research on insects for food and feed, as well as bee forages. 

• Curricula development, capacity building, and policy support and action. 

• Supporting technology adoption, transfer and scaling of innovations using novel approaches for small and medium enterprises; integration of innovations and technologies from both institutions into bundles, taking advantage of the presence of the two institutions in different regions, for example Africa and Latin America, to increase their global footprint.   

The MoU embodies the principles of complementarity, shared ownership, transparency and accountability, and will ensure that this cooperation yields mutual benefits and significant impact for people and the planet. The agreement also aligns with the aspirations of Agenda 2063, Africa’s blueprint for socio-economic transformation, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical, CIAT) is an international research and development organisation, which was founded in 1967, dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger while protecting natural resources in developing countries. Since then, in collaboration with hundreds of partners, CIAT has helped to make farming in developing countries more competitive, profitable and resilient through smarter, more sustainable natural resource management. Established in 2019, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, was created to address these four crises, maximizing impact for change at key points in the food system. For two decades, the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), a partnership developed and facilitated by CIAT, has fostered a pan-African research and development partnership to strengthen the common bean value chain. Common beans are important food legumes and contribute to the food and nutrition security, income generation and enhances production systems in over 32 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (www.icipe.org): headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, is the only research institution in Africa working primarily on insects and other arthropods. The Centre conducts world-class science, and then translates this knowledge into innovate environmentally friendly, affordable, accessible and easy to use solutions to tackle crop pests and disease vectors. icipe’s role also extends to the conservation and sustainable exploitation of the beneficial insect biodiversity. Thus, icipe works through the 4Hs Themes – Human Health, Animal Health, Plant Health and Environmental Health – a holistic and integrated framework that has sustainable development as its basis, to improve food security, health and the overall well-being of communities in Africa. We gratefully acknowledge the support of icipe core donors: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida); Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR); Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Government of the Republic of Kenya. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the donors.